Elkan Abrahamson, from the firm, said: "I was surprised to hear the Home Secretary announce in Parliament that no formal complaint of police surveillance had been made on behalf of the families and accordingly I have taken instructions from clients and I am making a formal complaint on their behalf of police surveillance including phone tapping."

Elkan Abrahamson

The complaint, which was sent to the IPCC today, asked that investigations into surveillance were not limited to "material on Hillsborough".

It said: "We also note that the police have refused to comment as to whether such surveillance took place, their answer, and that of the Home Secretary, being that the police do not as a rule comment on surveillance issues.

"We accept this, but it is a rule with exceptions and in particular, in accordance with the example given to the Home Secretary, we understand that the family of Stephen Lawrence were specifically told about surveillance.

"This is not a case where there is any implication or suggestion of wrong doing by any of the complainants."

The families also made a separate complaint about the refusal of the police to comment on concerns about surveillance.